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America’s wildlife is under attack in the exact places we want them to be safe—federal public lands.

This week, President Trump signed legislation that turns 76 million acres of National Wildlife Refuge lands in Alaska into killing fields. It reverses existing U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service protections and allows hunters to kill hibernating bears; chase grizzlies from helicopters to their deaths; shoot wolf pups and bear cubs in their dens; and use indiscriminate, cruel leg traps and neck snares on public lands.

National wildlife refuges and other public lands are not the safe haven for endangered wildlife that we may envision. Following the legislation signed by President Trump, even baby animals in national wildlife refuges in Alaska can be targeted. Wolves can be chased and killed by hounds. Whole packs of wolves—even those who have caused no problems for humans—can be taken out on federal land by state agencies. Lynx, wolves, wolverines, and other species can get caught in painful traps, sometimes left there for days.

The Endangered Species Coalition is working to protect endangered wildlife and the lands they need to survive around the country. While we work in Washington, D.C. to advance stronger nationwide protections, our skilled organizers are working on campaigns in their regions that include:

Opposing “hounding” on public lands that leads to the injury and death of wolves

Fighting for bans on cruel and indiscriminate trapping on public lands such as refuges

Pressuring the administration and states to increase funding for wildlife conservation and protection

Overhauling state wildlife commissions and agencies to put conservation first

Keeping grizzly bears and gray wolves protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Defending the Endangered Species Act from attacks in Congress

This is one of the most challenging periods for endangered species and wildlife protection in the last two decades. The Endangered Species Act itself is at risk and Congress is overturning many of the hard fought protections brought about by the last administration. These are difficult, lengthy fights, but we believe we can win them if our supporters stand up and speak out. Please support this work with a 100% tax-deductible donation today.

The short- and long-term effects could be catastrophic for wildlife, clean air and water, people, and the climate.

In response, Defenders has filed suit challenging this reckless decision, but we need your help.

Mark, it’s been nearly 40 years since the government last weighed the environmental impacts of coal mining on public lands. Since then, we’ve learned so much about the devastating effects of burning coal on our air, water and environment – in addition to its contribution to global warming.

Simply put: By opening these wildlands to coal development, the government is ignoring the harm more coal development will cause.

This is why the previous administration had put any new coal leasing on hold to take a closer look at the impacts – but Secretary Zinke has decided there’s no need to look before we leap into mining and burning more coal.

Much of the new coal-mining will occur in the Powder River Basin in northeastern Wyoming. The rolling hills, plains and rivers of this area are home to spiritual landmarks of great significance to the Native Americans who have lived there for millennia, and are vital habitat for fish and wildlife.

With the known consequences of mass-scale coal mining more frightening than ever, there is no justification for this dangerous and harmful action. That’s why we’re going to court – to speak out on behalf of wildlife and our nation’s lands and waters.

Thank you in advance for your gift!

Sincerely,

Mike Senatore
Vice-President, Conservation Law
Defenders of Wildlife

President Trump is considering a drastic plan to rescind the national monument status of Utah’s Bears Ears. These spectacular public lands—spanning 1.35 million acres near Canyonlands National Park—have been home to Native American tribes for millennia.

Trump’s plan would leave the region vulnerable to oil and gas drilling, mining, and other dangers.

Trump Signs Bill to Bait, Trap, Kill Alaska Wolves, Bears

President Trump’s sick war on wildlife is taking off. Late Monday he quietly signed a bill that allows wolves and their pups to be killed in their dens and bears to be gunned down in bait stations in Alaska’s national wildlife refuges.

These refuges were designed to be a haven for animals, but they clearly won’t play that role under Trump. The bill also allows aerial gunning and the use of steel-jawed leghold traps to hold the animals in place until they can be shot.

Thanks to the 33,000 of you who took action urging Trump to veto this disgusting bill. The fight is not over. The Center for Biological Diversity has sued the Trump administration three times in the past week, and the resistance movement is growing stronger by the day.

Suit Seeks to Save Carnivores From Deadly ‘Cyanide Bombs’

The Center and allies on Tuesday sued the Trump administration for failing to protect endangered species from two deadly pesticides used to kill coyotes and other native carnivores.

Our lawsuit seeks common-sense measures to prevent unintended deaths from sodium cyanide used in M-44s — also known as cyanide bombs — which killed an Oregon wolf in February, temporarily blinded a child, and killed three family dogs in two separate incidents in Idaho and Wyoming in March alone.

“Cyanide bombs are indiscriminate killers,” said the Center’s Collette Adkins. “These dangerous pesticides need to be banned, but until that happens, they shouldn’t be used where they can hurt people or kill pets and endangered wildlife.”

Big pharma is making huge profits from the torture of horses. Thousands of horses are raised purely for the purpose of having their blood extracted and sold — with dire consequences.

It’s a sickening business that the SumOfUs community has been standing up against for months — and we’ve made important progress in our fight to stop it.

After SumOfUs members raised the alarm, a major pharma company, Merck, Sharpe and Dohme (MSD), changed its policy.

But blood farms will still operate as long as there are pharma companies willing to buy their products. Can you help push the next big player, Germany’s IDT Biologika, to cut ties with blood farms? We’ll be delivering your voices straight to IDT Biologika’s headquarters in less than two weeks — so please add your name now.

Blood farm conditions are worse than you’d ever imagine.

On farms in Uruguay and Argentina, our partners revealed that workers routinely take 10 litres of blood from the horse in a single extraction — almost a fourth of its total blood. That much blood loss can lead to hypovolemic shock, anaemia or even death.

It’s a hormone called PMSG that the pharma industry is after. Because the valuable hormone can only be found in the blood of mares in their early pregnancy, they are forced into repeated pregnancies and abortions. Finally, they are shipped off to be slaughtered once they’re too weak or old to become pregnant.

In a cruel cycle of animal exploitation, the precious hormone obtained from pregnant mare blood is used by the pig industry to make the industrial production of piglets even more efficient.More and more politicians, organizations and regular people like you and me are speaking out against this horrific practice. If we keep up the pressure, we can get IDT Biologika to cut ties with the most notorious blood farms we know about.

After years of investigative work by the Animal Welfare Foundation, its partners in Uruguay, and hundreds of thousands of SumOfUs members taking action, Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD) is changing its ways — at least for its products in Europe.

It’s proof that when we come together with strong partners and amazing members like you, we have the power to shift large corporations.

Now it’s time to get IDT Biologika to make a move. They’ve never been hit by a campaign like this before — so tens of thousands of us coming together to hold IDT Biologika accountable can make all the difference!